It starts at Kirtland Air Force Base with a briefing and then everyone loads their gear into the C-130. An hour later, we’re above Roswell and it’s time to jump.

“I’d be lying if we saying it wasn’t scary,” says Staff Sgt. Troy Campbell, who’s made almost 300 jumps with the Marines. “So it is scary and that’s what helps us keep the edge. If you’re not afraid you’re probably missing something and you’re probably not going through the correct steps so a good healthy fear.”

The Marines and Air Force face that fear in the day and especially at night, when they can not exactly see what they are jumping into.

“It just increases that stealth of us coming in,” says Sgt. Campbell. “But there’s nothing scarier than jumping out to something you can’t see and trying to land on something you can’t see either.”